1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a buckle for releasably connecting straps, belts or the like on bags or like garment articles.
2. Prior Art
Numerous forms of buckles are known.
An exemplary buckle device disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 54-14317 comprises a male member and a female member releasably engageable therewith, the male member having a resilient locking arm provided at its forward end with a locking lug and a rigid positioning arm underlying the locking arm, and the female member having a tunnel-like receptacle dimensioned to receive the two arms. When the male member is inserted into the female member with the locking lug of the locking arm hooked around the edge of an opening in the receptacle, the positioning arm lies flat against a base plate of the female member and serves to retain the locking arm in locked position relative to the female member. A similar buckle device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-160618, in which a locking arm and a positioning arm extend in parallel relation from a male member for resilient engagement with a female member, the positioning arm being exposed to view through an opening in the locking arm when separated from the female member but concealed under a bridge wall of the female member when coupled with the male member. The locking member has a locking lug formed at its rearward end for abutting engagement with an end wall edge of the bridge. In either of the prior art buckle devices, the locking arm of the male member flexed downwardly or sags upon entry into the female member to an extent determined by the height of the locking lug that comes into hooked engagement with a mating part of the female member. If inadvertently a force was applied in a direction in which the locking arm sags, it would tend to break or otherwise lose its spring-back action. This is more likely as the locking arm is cantilevered. An attempt to increase mechanical strength of the material for the locking arm would conversely reduce its elastic modulus in flexture. This could be compensated for by reducing the height of the locking lug but would result in unreliable operation of the buckle.